A new report by the Environmental Policy Innovation Centers at College Park found there are gaps in the amount of technical assistance provided to environmental projects by local governments in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In our weekly series with the Bay Journal Delmarva Public Media's Don Rush talks with reporter Jeremy Cox about what they found. The full interview can be heard on this Friday's Delmarva Today at noon on WSDL and WESM.
Bay Journal reporter Jeremy Cox said the issue facing the bay is especially important for smaller communities, which often lack the staff needed to pursue environmental grants, handle engineering work and oversee projects.
“Small places, smaller counties and cities just don't really have the manpower,” Cox said, noting small communities in counties like Somerset and Accomack county.
Technical assistance can also help communities address everyday concerns such as flooding and stormwater. Cox said projects can be designed to tackle both problems at once, using nature-based solutions such as marshes and bioswales to filter pollutants, sediment and nutrients before they reach the Chesapeake Bay.
Organizations including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and universities have stepped in to help fill those gaps.
The 175-page report from the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, produced in partnership with the Bay Journal, found that those efforts are making a difference but are not reaching every community equally.
Cox said the Eastern Shore has historically received more attention because of its rural communities and limited resources. However, the report identifies similar needs on Maryland’s Western Shore, including St. Mary’s, Charles and Prince George’s counties.
“[These small communities] are less apt to be able to find outside help [if they need it]", Cox said.
